Born in Porto Calvo, Alagoas, Willian José started his career at local CRB's youth setup, before joining Grêmio Barueri in 2008, aged 17. On 1 August 2009 he made his first team – and Série A – debut, coming on as a late substitute in a 1–2 loss at Botafogo. Willian José scored his first goal as a professional on 17 January of the following year, netting his side's only in a 1–1 draw at Sertãozinho for the Campeonato Paulista championship. He scored six further times during the campaign, which ended in relegation.
On 13 December 2012 Willian José moved to Grêmio, but after appearing rarely he signed with Santos FC in May of the following year. He appeared in 28 matches during his only season at Peixe, scoring five goals.
On 8 January 2014 Willian José moved abroad, signing a six-month deal with Real Madrid, being assigned to the reserves in Segunda División. After scoring a hat-trick in a 3–2 win at Recreativo de Huelva, he was called up for the main squad and was on the bench for the matches against Real Sociedad and UD Almería. Willian José made his La Liga debut on 11 May, replacing compatriot Casemiro in a 0–2 loss at Celta de Vigo. In June, however, he was released.
Zaragoza
Willian José signed a one-year deal with Real Zaragoza in the second level on 29 August 2014. He made his debut for the club on 7 September, replacing David Muñoz in a 1–4 heavy loss at FC Barcelona B. Willian José scored his first goal for the club on 12 October 2014, in a 3–3 away draw against CD Lugo. He also scored braces against UD Las Palmas and Girona FC, finishing the campaign with ten goals as his side missed out promotion in the play-offs.
On 30 July 2015, Willian José signed a one-year contract with Las Palmas, newly promoted to the top tier. His first goal in the category occurred on 12 December, the game's only in a home success against Real Betis. On 25 January 2016, Willian José scored a brace in a 2–3 loss at Levante UD. On 20 February, he scored a first-half equalizer against league leaders FC Barcelona, but the hosts would eventually lose by 1–2. He also scored the equalizer against former club Real Madrid on 13 March, but the hosts again lost by 1–2.
Real Sociedad
On 31 July 2016, Willian José signed a five-year deal with fellow league team Real Sociedad. On 21 September, he scored a double in a 4–1 home routing of former club Las Palmas.
